U.S. Pat No. 5,732,725 to Ko disclosed a safety runner used in umbrella having a tab T integrally formed to a base B of the runner R as illustrated in FIG. 1, whereby upon depression of the tab T to retract the catch C, which is resiliently protruded from the central shaft S for retaining the runner R at opening state, the runner may be lowered to close the umbrella without touching the acute catch C for safety.
However, when the umbrella user depress the tab T at the point P1 near the hinge point F where the tab T is integrally secured to the base B of the runner R, it will require a greater force for depressing the tab for closing the umbrella with a shorter arm of force between point P1 and the point F.
For obtaining a longer arm of force, it is preferable to depress the tab at a lower point, P2. However, a raised pad T1 should be formed on an inside surface of the tab T in order to contact the catch C, causing production complexity for the tab T and the runner R.
Moreover, the repeated depression and biasing movements of the tab T at the turning point or hinge point F may cause breakage of the tab from the runner, loosing the safety effect by the tab.
The present inventor has found the drawbacks of the conventional safety runner and invented the present safety umbrella runner as effected by a sliding push button.
The object of the present invention is to provide a safety umbrella runner including: a push button having a plunger slidably held in a primary slot transversely formed through the runner to be generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis defined at a longitudinal center of the central shaft of the umbrella and having an inside surface of the push button contacting a spring catch normally resiliently protruding outwardly from the central shaft for retaining the runner when opening the umbrella, and having a pair of lugs symmetrically disposed on opposite side portions of the plunger and respectively slidably engaging with a pair of secondary slots symmetrically recessed in opposite side walls of the primary slot with each secondary slot generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the central shaft, with the push button stably slidably held in the primary and secondary slots formed in the runner for a very ergonomic operation when depressing the push button for disengaging the runner from the catch for closing the umbrella.